I know we met them in a European Cup semi-final in 1972, but the forthcoming tie against Inter Milan is all about the wonderful heritage we were gifted in 1967. La Grande Inter, as Internazionale, then the greatest team Italy had known, had won two of the previous three European Cups and were controversially denied in the semi-final of the other. They won three of the previous four Italian titles, denied the fourth on a play-off, and topped the table with two weeks of the Italian season to go.
They were an awesome team with gifted strikers but it was the defence which marked them out; this was a team who didn’t concede goals, when they took the lead, they kept it.
Simpson, Craig, Gemmell; Murdoch, McNeill and Clark; Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Auld and Lennox, and Jock Stein, not only killed La Grande Inter, but did so, so comprehensively, they forced Inter, and the rest of the Italian game, to change their ways. Catenaccio, the suffocating, ultra-defensive system, was finished.
For Europe, the consequences were profound. Celtic, with their wave after wave of attack; 45 attempts on goal in a European final; were celebrated everywhere. The drift towards caution stopped, teams realised the very best defensive sides could be beaten into submission by sheer talent. In the two subsequent decades the dominant Latin countries of Italy, Spain and Portugal, who had won all previous European Cups, would win the trophy only once.
Football fans across the globe, not just Celtic fans, will want to be there when the teams meet in a game which represents History, not just our history, Europe’s History.
We’ll talk later today on moves being put on the SFA at the moment. ‘Here we go again…….’
Still time to order your 2015 CQN Annual for Christmas.
You can also order the CQN Annual and DVD bundle here. It’s a great offer, check it out – oh, and there’s tons of photos, fresh stories and comment on the first time Inter faced the green and white hoops.
The latest edition of the Magazine is out today, click on the download link on the graphic below to read for free.
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Keepthehighballslow (10:19): “Our challenge is to stay in the game without shooting ourselves in the foot early doors.”
But it has become a Celtic tradition this season to allow the opposition a free pop at goal in the first minute of every game.
Let’s hope the Inter players don’t watch Sportscene!
snake plissken
12:18 on 16 December, 2014
Shutting down a stadium for 1 flare, yeah I see that happening, every stadium in Europe would be closed in that case
ekbhoy
11:16 on 16 December, 2014
Spot on. If we’re too open against them we’ll be out in the first leg. We only need to look at recent years against Juventus and Milan, when we had a better team. I hope and think that Ronnie will take a more cautious approach in these games, surely.
td67
Were you sitting while you were thinking?
HH
Tom McLaughlin
12:37 on 16 December, 2014
I’d lay odds that, in the absence of other factors, refusal to take a breath test is not of itself a legal justification for requiring someone to take a test.
Stanley Kubrick
Quentin Tarrantino
Tony Donnelly
;-)
Inglorious Barstewards. Da Filum. Coming soon to a cinema near you. (Unless you live in Ullapool)
HH jamesgang
What about Scepovic’s first touch on Sunday, a 50 yard volley that was going in but for good handling by the keeper?
I only ask because I haven’t seen it on any highlights so far.
hun skelper
snake plissken
Shutting down a stadium for 1 flare, yeah I see that happening, every stadium in Europe would be closed in that case
You’re missing the point.
It wouldn’t be for “one flare”.
It would be for repeat offending.
Tom
It was class. What a goal it would have been. From a lovely cushioned header from Stefan J.
One of these things you can see unfolding in front of you.
HH jamesgang
Jamesgang,
Garbage in. Garbage out.
Just messing neebs. Blunt….James….?
Backtobedlam csc :)
jamesgang –
I was off my seat as I was sure it was going in.
Scepovic is class and once he settles in, watch him go.
Afternoon all.
A very happy birthday to Tommy Burns.
Should you see my auld dad, say hi.
He will either be in the bookies or the casino.
…or possibly the pub.
…watching the racing.
Birthday wishes to TSOAL also!
HH!!
I’ve said enough on our away support you could write a book on it, your dealing with feking morons here, these are the crackpots who trashed a Celtic pub in the Gorbals, now tell me what that was all about?
Now if anyone can tell me the logic in that I will listen, but I doubt anyone can, it’s time this mob was sorted out, and their leaders, and we all know they have an agenda, the only way I can figure out is there agenda, is that they want celtic park closed down for European games so that they get the publicity, has to be that or as I said they are just crackpots, I’m fed up with them, as I keep saying go to George’s square with your politics, we don’t want you, and there leaders are all wee SLEEKIT sly bassa lurking in the back ground getting kids to do there handy work, they are a toxic bunch and should be chased from celtic park for good, and the sooner the better.
tom mclaughlin
12:55 on 16 December, 2014
I think there would be a process to go through before closing the stadium, it dosent go from fine to stadium closed. Something like …
Fine
Suspended sentence
Close part of the stadium
Full closed stadium
Snake Plissken @ 11.51hrs.
“What if UEFA say the next match is to be played behind closed doors?”
————————————————
I must admit I never thought of that. Such a scenario would wreck our season and thousands more would not return. The consequences of a “totting up” procedure have the potential to be mega.
In that context we require to treat this latest escapade extremely serious. No more denials. We are losing the hard earned reputation and awards our supporters earned. We all know that it is a tiny minority of our fans who persist in “hunnish” behaviour, but they are there nevertheless and this must be recognised.
If they disregard all warnings and continue to cause our club financial and moral damage then are they really Celtic fans ?
They may know the words of all the songs but their actions speak louder than words.
No over-reactions but we must react——- again.
HH.
Geordie Munro (12:59), Backtobedlam csc: Have you ever been to Bedlam? It’s not far from where I live…
goo.gl/maps/WW3RO
Tony Donnelly –
You should have stopped after your first 3 words.
:-)
Donny Toadily
Shite.
Spot onTD
Ultras my ar$e
Bigchips,
Bedlam is my hoose in December.
greenpinata
13:06 on 16 December, 2014
Who was it that let the flare off ????
Guys paying a fortune to follow the club all over Europe aren’t Celtic supporters, no bother mate.
Greenpinata (13:06), the hearing is on the same day that we entertain Inter, and by then 60,000 tickets will have already been sold. Any game related ruling would have to be for the next match after the Inter game.
That said, IMO the club should be pursuing a claim against the miscreants to receive compensation against the club’s (and by extension the genuine fans’) losses, resulting from these morons’ illegal behaviour. It is happening so frequently now that I am starting to suspect that they are interlopers in disguise, trying to drag our club into the blue-stained gutter.
ernie lynch
12:52 on
16 December, 2014
Sorry to jump in. I’m pretty certain that the refusal is considered good grounds for suspicion. What’s contentious is the reason for pulling you over in the first place, random stopping of cars has never seemed to cause the same level of concern as eg random stop and searches on the street.
I might be wrong, I’m open to education on this one.
Tonyd67
—
If the worst thing these young bhoys do is light the odd flare then I think our fans rep will be ok.. in sure alot of our fans 10/20 years ago probably got upto worse.
And I could be wrong but the gb also do foodbanks..anti racism world cups etc so surely the good out does the bad.
Ruining the toilets was stupid but people do stupid things when drunk.. I know I have.
Tom mclaughlin
Sorry, I had to go out unexpectedly. I’m glad you enjoyed my conspiracy theory but I can assure you that steroids were not taken in the process of composing my earlier post:-)) Perhaps I have been affected by the number of conspiracy theories I read on CQN last week, all of which, as I remember, ended up with the same outcome as mine. :-)) You do remember Finlay Sideburns saying a few weeks ago that Sevco are not the Rangers he remembers and that that club was liquidated. That was interpreted as Finlay sending out a signal to the masses that the present entity are a Mickey Mouse outfit run by charlatans and that the bears should have nothing to do with them (whilst good, true blue, Rankers men wait in the wings for the right moment to re-form RAN#!?S) :-))
I believe I have said everything that I need to say on everything, so here goes…
FULLSTOP
MWD said AYE
Thanks for the birthday wishes and abuse
LOve
MWD
Aye right!
HH jamesgang
SOAL –
What birthday wishes?
MSM saying the young Norwegian lad is likely to sign for Bayern Munich.Time for Rony to get on the blower to him and his dad and sell Celtic to them. H.H.
Re the flare incident, I’m sure I saw a picture posted the other day, from a rag I think , of a guy holding it up.
Surely he can be identified by someone and the club could take action against him for loss of revenue if that happens?
embramike@11.22…thanks for posting that. Could be very useful for me as I am now retired. Will have a more detailed look at it later.
SOAL,
From one Love man to another, Happy Birthday.
the red telephone
13:23 on 16 December, 2014
Don’t think the club can, they don’t have the authority to fine anybody.
Bampots exist and have always existed the only way to deal with them is to catch them and then ban them for life from watching Celtic.Every club has bampots amongst there supporters and we are no different. H.H.
As a special birthday treat, NAFOS has suggested SOAL might like a pint of cooking lager in a Staropramen glass.
hun skelper @ 13.11hrs.
“Who was it that let the flare off ????
Guys paying a fortune to follow the club all over Europe aren’t Celtic supporters, no bother mate
————————————————
Maybe the individual or individuals are rich. Because you spend plenty does not exempt you from acceptable behaviour.
I reiterate if their deliberate actions harm our club ( And they have been warned often enough ) then they are not Celtic supporters no matter how much they spend or what songs they sing.
I am a great believer in the concept of innocence prior to being proven guilty but we must acknowledge we have been cited by UEFA yet again, and if necessary take appropriate action as a responsible family friendly club.
HH.
Heard a good Celtic story on Sunday.
On the team bus after an away game just before Christmas, the first team were heading off somewhere for their Christmas bash. Martin O’Neill left his front seat and stood talking to the players. He told them to enjoy themselves but to remember that they were at all times representatives of Celtic Football Club and to be wary of being caught up in any high jinks.
He finished his wee speech by saying, “I know I’m just an old has been but . . .” to which Neil Lennon butted in, “Away boss. You’re not old!”